Thursday, January 23, 2014

Ask Maxy

Dear Maxy,I am having the hardest time getting my children to complete their homework , especially their reading . I have used egg timers and timeouts and punishments . I have talked to their teachers, but it all boils down to them rarely getting the work done .When I come into the room where they are supposed to be reading, they are often playing videos games or watching TV . I take these privileges away, but the work rarely gets finished .Any suggestions on getting them to focus . ?Read please .Dear Read Please ,You can remove the distractions from your home. Take the video games away and put them under lock and key . Remove the television from the room where they do their studying . Make it clear that you will not reinstate their ability to use these electronics until they can compete all of their studies in a timely and effective manner .Limit your own engagement with electronics . Your children watch your example more closely than you know . And , by all means, read ! You should cultivate a daily interest in reading . If you sit with your children and read as they are reading, chances are great that they will want to read right along with you .MaxyDear Maxy ,I just saw a report on the news that says that if you drink three alcoholic beverages a day, you are considered a binge drinker . That is so scary . My friends and I go out every weekend and we always drink that much, if not more . I mean everybody knows I drink that much . I mentioned this study to my friends who totally blew it off . It's not like we are drinking every night . I'm wondering, though , if the study is exaggerating, or we have something to worry about . I've heard about other studies that say drinking a glass of red wine every night is good for you .Confused Dear Confused ,The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that binge drinking for men equals five or more drinks in one sitting and four or more for women .The point is that excessive drinking , which you and your friends are doing, can lead to health and safety concerns . While your friends may brush this off as nonsense , you are smart to take heed .Start by making the choice not to drink at all the next time you go out or to limit your alcohol to one drink . If you are unable to adhere to your limitation , you will know that you have a problem . Get help now before you succumb to what could be a perilous future if your drinking goes unchecked . You are doing the right thing .Maxy Dear Maxy ,My wonderful husband delivers oil to people's homes and works hard keeping homes toasty and warm throughout the winter . It is a demanding job but for the most part, he enjoys it .The problem is, some customers don't plow or shovel paths to their tanks .Their driveway are cleared and the paths to their bird feeders, but my husband has to pull a heavy hose through knee-high snow to reach the tanks .By the time he gets home he is soaked to his thighs, cold and exhausted . He would appreciate it if people could make his job easier by shoveling a path to their tank .Please be Kind Dear Please ,Thank you for reminding the readers that all service people who to have access outside areas of their homes should not get lost in a snowdrift because the path isn't plowed . If you know someone is coming, please make sure that they can get there .Maxy